Gloucester

Gloucester's population expanded in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in housing tenure, marriage and health.

The population passed 120,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Gloucester increased by 11%, from almost 110,000 to 122,000.

The addition of just under 12,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Gloucester was home to, on average, 21 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres). This made it the South West's third-most densely-populated district.

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

More people cohabiting

Census 2011 data also show a change in family life for many in Gloucester.

The percentage of households in Gloucester, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 9.3% in 2001 to 12% in 2011.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (29%) households had only a single person, compared with 30% in 2001. The percentage of households in Gloucester, which comprised a married couple (with or without children), decreased from 37% to 34%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.4% in 2001 to 10% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Gloucester increased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Gloucester, the South West and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

Fall in home ownership

The percentage of households that owner their home fell in Gloucester at a faster rate than in nearby Tewkesbury.

In Gloucester, the proportion of home ownership decreased from 74% in 2001 to 67% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Tewkesbury decreased from 78% to 74%.

Across the South West, the share of households that owner their home decreased from 72% to 67%.

Private renting in Gloucester increased from 9.5% to 17%, while the rate of social housing decreased from 14% to 13%.

The rate of home ownership was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households that that owner their home across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

More single people in Gloucester

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased here at a faster rate than in Tewkesbury.

In Gloucester, the proportion of single people increased from 29% in 2001 to 34% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Tewkesbury increased from 24% to 26%.

Across the South West, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 27% to 31%.

The proportion of married people in Gloucester fell from 52% to 47%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 12% to 13%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Gloucester residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.6% to 4.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (82%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 69% in 2001. The percentage of Gloucester residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 13%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Gloucester decreased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Gloucester, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Gloucester working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 11% to 8.0% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.6% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 13% in 2001 to 10% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Gloucester decreased by 3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Gloucester, the South West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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